December, 2009:

 

Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner

 

The Reading Baseball Alumni Club Dinner will be held on Sunday, January 10th at 6:00 pm.  This year we will try a new venue - Bertucci's in Reading.  They have a nice private room that can accommodate our group and we are currently working out menu options with them.  So please pass the word to your fellow alumni so we can have a big turnout, as we did last year.  Consider this a special invitation to Reading Baseball teams of '07, '08, and '09.  We want our young alumni to attend and enjoy our camaraderie.

 

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October, 2009:

 

Congratulations to RMHS Varsity Assistant Baseball Coach Scott Farris, who has just been selected as the Massachusetts Baseball Coaches Association Assistant Coach of the Year for 2009. The following is the write-up that will accompany the award presentation which will be at the Mass. Baseball Coaches Annual Clinic in January.  Scott has been coaching in our program for 15 years: two years as our Freshman Coach, 12 years as Varsity Assistant, and one year as Interim Varsity Head Coach. In all these roles, Scott has done an outstanding job as an extremely dedicated and unselfish coach who invests his volunteer time and energy in each of his players.  Scott is a tireless worker who has great passion for the game and expects the same from his players. He has a gift for getting the most out of our players each day as he pushes them to constantly improve. He is disciplined and demanding, yet builds positive, caring relationships with each of his players. Our players love to work with him as they know how much Coach Farris cares about them and how hard he works to make each of them better. Scott is a very talented hitting coach who expertly combines teaching of the physical and the mental game, but also has great expertise in all aspects of the game. While his knowledge of the game is formidable, his ability to convey such knowledge to his players in clear, direct terms is even more impressive.

 

Although his title is Assistant, Scott is essentially a second Head Coach on the field. He has the necessary abilities to be an outstanding Head Coach (in fact, the team was very successful in the season that he was Head Coach), but he remains an assistant out of his fierce loyalty to the program, players, and fellow coaches in Reading. That is a rare trait these days.

 

Above all, Coach Farris is a great role model for our players and for our young coaches, as he is a man of character and integrity. He represents our program with class and dignity at all times and gets our players to do the same. Scott creates a terrific positive atmosphere on the field: one where players and coaches are required to be competitive and intense, yet encouraged to enjoy every moment of the experience.

 

Scott truly understands what high school athletics are all about. While he is highly competitive and loves to win, he knows the greater part of his job is to use baseball to teach his players how to grow and develop.  Those of us involved in the program know how much Scott has influenced our players over 15 years; there are scores of Reading players who have become better people because of Scott's impact on them. Our program has enjoyed success over the past 15 years and we attribute much of that to Coach Farris' extraordinary effort and contributions to our program.

 

 

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Steve Langone enters Boston College Hall of Fame....read details here

 

 

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September, 2009:

 

2009 Alumni Weekend

in Cooperstown

 

 

For what has become the annual highlight of our Alumni Club year, 35 members of the Reading Baseball Family (20 players and 15 family members and friends) ventured out to Cooperstown on a spectacular, albeit hot, August weekend. We had players from the '70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's all come together to share old Reading Baseball memories and create some new ones.

 

Many of us stayed at the Best Western, just a few minutes outside of town, while others stayed in a hotels in town or in Oneonta, and even some stayed at Beaver Valley Campground. Most people came up Friday to settle in, enjoy the Hall of Fame and shops, use the hotel pool, or just relax. A couple guys drove up on Saturday morning, arriving just moments before the first game.

 

On Saturday morning we gathered at the field at 9:00 and waited until the field manager gave us permission to enter. He read us the tedious list of regulations on field use (he could not remember that we know the rules, having played on his field once or twice a year for the past 17 years, but one's memory can lapse when you live in a dark, damp equipment shack and exist on a diet of raccoon meat and swamp water).

 

 Anyway, as far as the games were concerned, we were divided into 2 teams, Red and Black, each with 10 players (at least to start the game). Game One was played on a sunny and warm Saturday morning and the Black team prevailed by a 16-7 score. This game had two amazing connections to the 1969 Super Bowl when the New York Jets upset the heavily favored Baltimore Colts: 1) it was the identical score and 2) it was an upset of equal magnitude. But our baseball game was much less suspenseful than the football game, as the Black squad jumped to a 3-0 lead before an out was recorded. Leadoff singles by John Barrett (John has played in every one of our alumni games) and Patrick Prato (his first at bat in his first alumni game) was followed by a MONSTROUS home run down the right field line by Mark DeMasse. Mark's ball cleared the fence, the bleachers, and passed through a tree about 30 feet off the ground. Probably traveled 420 feet. Turned out that was the longest of the three homers Mark hit on the weekend. That was just the beginning as the Black team continued to pound out hits of every variety. Hard to remember who got those hits, as there were so many. But we do remember another home run, this one being a grand slam to the opposite field by Tommy "T-Bone" DeMasse. Tom, his brothers Brian and Mark, and father Tony combined for about 20 hits during the weekend (must have been the Tweetie Bird Pez dispenser). Team Black not only relied on hitting, but had pitching and defense. Rob DeMoura pitched 6 innings, "scattering" 15 hits to get the win. John Barrett followed and pitched the final three. John, whom his teammates called "Bart" when he was a Middlesex League All-Star in 1984, had some

real zip on his fastball this year. Maybe he was inspired by the comeback of his fellow "Forty Something"

pitcher, Pedro Martinez. The Red team highlights included a couple Web Gems: an up the middle backhand stab and throw to first by 2nd baseman Jim Lucci and a beautiful sliding catch in center field by Dan Callahan. Red Team pitcher Matt Morrison was the tough luck loser despite

his complete game performance.

 

On Saturday night, all 35 of us got together for dinner at O'Hanlon's Steakhouse. O'Hanlan's has been named one of Cooperstown's top 20 steakhouses and is well-known for it's motto: " Place your order, mow your lawn, do your errands, visit the Hall of Fame, and your meal will be ready within 45 minutes after you return - GUARANTEED!"  Nevertheless, we had a great time talking about Game One and all of our Reading Baseball stories over the years. In addition to the 20 players in attendance, we were joined by Tom Zaya's family: wife Claire and children Connor, Riley, Mackenzie; Jim Lucci's family: wife

Mary and children Amanda, Tony, and Melaina; John Barrett's family: wife Haley and children Rose and John; Pam DeMasse (Tony's wife and mother of 3 players), Jean Prato (Patrick's mom), Molly Ross (Chuck's wife), and Dan Callahan's girlfriend, Jessica.

 

Game Two was played on the following morning and now it was pretty hot. But that was good, because it made it easier to get loose (you know you are getting old when you break a sweat lacing up your cleats). Whereas Game One was preceded by a spirited infield/outfield practice, Game Two was preceded by a rousing cry of "Do we have to do this?" Not really - our guys always love the opportunity to play, especially on a field that has been played on by such greats as Ted Williams, Willie Mays, Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, and Tom Fratto. The game began at the stroke of 10 o'clock and this time the Red team was victorious by a 14-10 score (probably another Super Bowl score). This was a see-saw affair with the lead changing hands a few times. The Red Team was ahead 10-7 late in the game, but Mark DeMasse hit a 3-run shot to center field to tie the game. Undaunted, the Red team got 4 runs in the top of the 9th, highlighted by hustling base running by Matt Morrison and big RBI rips by Jason Zerfas and Scott Farris. Red team pitcher, Jason Zerfas, finished his complete game "gem" (9 IP, 10 runs, 16 hits, 0 BB, 0 K, 153 pitches ) by shutting down a potential Black rally in the 9th with an assortment of fast (straight) balls, knuckle balls, and changeups. Matt Morrison provided an offensive highlight with a home run into the left field screen. Mark DeMasse was named The JUJYFRUIT Most Valuable Player for his 3 home runs, plus some doubles and singles, excellent play in the outfield, and flawless

catching in Game One.

 

So a split was good, everyone could leave with some bragging rights and a vow to sweep the series next year. We managed to get through with just 3 injuries: John Barrett pulled a muscle in the rib cage on a swing, Pat Prato pulled a hamstring and twisted and ankle, and Tom Zaya had a more serious injury as he tore a tendon in his calf while fielding a ground ball (he is now recovering nicely).

 

If you would like to view photos of Game One, go to www.cooperstowntime.com and find the photos section. Also, if any of you took some good photos that you would like us to see and/or put on our website, please send to me. We especially need a good team photo. Thanks.

 

Many thanks to everyone who took the time to make the trip, especially family and friend of the players. Several guys have commented that this was the most fun year of all. We played some pretty good baseball (some of our folks in the stands heard comments from fans who stopped by to watch and asked if we were former professional players). Maybe we were not professionals (we need Langone to come next year) but our guys can still hit and catch the ball. No one would guess that guys like Bob

Macaluso, Jon Vedder, John Barrett, Pat Prato, Jim Lucci, Scott Farris, and Tom Zaya are all in the 40's considering the way they smack the ball and bounce around in the field. All, in all, just a great, great Reading Baseball weekend.

 

Here are the full rosters:

 

Black Team: Bob Macaluso '82, John Barrett '84, Patrick Prato '86, Josh Driscoll '95,

Riley Hughes (Java's brother in law), Mark DeMasse '02, Rob DeMoura '02, Brian DeMasse '03,

Tommy DeMasse '08, Tony DeMasse (dad)

 

Red Team: Chuck Ross '74 and RMHS Hall of Famer, Jon Vedder '83, Jim

Lucci '85, Scott Farris '85, Tom Zaya '87, Dan Foley '98, Jason Zerfas'99, Dan Callahan '03,

Matt Morrison (our JV coach), Pete Moscariello '71

 

A note about brothers in law. Seems like every year we have an alumnus' brother in law join us to help fill the roster. They are always welcome and are terrific guys but we never expect them to be particularly good players. That is fine. So when Java Driscoll offered his brother in law Riley, whom Java said "played some high school ball", I said, "Sure" and cleverly placed him on the opposing team. Bad idea. Riley might as well have been Rocco Baldelli - he was outstanding! He smashed the ball all over the park and was excellent defensively (maybe I am just bitter because of one outstanding grab he made in left field). Anyway, Riley is a great guy and is welcome to join us any time./

 

We already have a plan for next year. Some guys want to bring their young families and we thought, instead of going to a restaurant, we should have a big evening cookout at Beaver Valley Campground. Some of our families are likely to be staying there, anyway, so we can ask management if we can have a large group of visitors. The Lucci's had a cabin that was close to the ball field and directly adjacent to an expansive lawn - perfect for cookout and kids' activities. We can also rent the major league diamond and have a game or home run derby, a kids' game, etc. This fall we will put in our request for two games on Doubleday Field and, when we get our dates, contact BV, too.

 

Last thing: just want to say how much I appreciate you guys and your families making this a memorable weekend. The home plate umpire said that this must be a thrill for me. He is right, but he has no idea to what extent. It was my absolute privilege to have coached you guys when you played at RMHS. To continue to know you and your families and to play with/against you in Cooperstown is a joy beyond description. I humbly think that we have something special going with the fraternity we call Reading Baseball and the Alumni Club. To see guys who played 30 years ago get to know guys from 2 years ago is awesome. Maybe two guys played 30 years apart, but the experiences were the same and now you are all part of the same brotherhood. I could not be more proud. So thanks for giving this old coach more wonderful memories. Take care of yourselves and families and I know I will see you soon.

 

Coach Mosc

 

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December, 2008:

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI DINNER

JANUARY 11, 2009

 

It is that time of year again when we decorate the Christmas tree, shop at the mall, prepare for the first snow storm, and look forward to the READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER!

 

This year it will be a week later than usual, so it will be on SUNDAY, JANUARY 11th  AT 6:00 pm at 'ON THE BORDER', in Woburn. Please put the date on your calendar and spread the word to your teammates to make sure all our alumni are aware of this event.

 

A special invitation to our younger alumni, graduates from the past 3 or 4 years - we really would like you to attend the event.  We promise the older guys won't bore you with stories about how it was "back when

they played" (red pullover shirts, foam hats, brutal bench jockeying, endless sprints, etc.).

 

Let's see if we can get our best turnout ever as we celebrate 2009 and the wonderful camaraderie of our Reading Baseball Family.

 

Hope to see you all then, in the meantime I am working on my requests from Santa Claus (lefty pitcher in the mid 90's, power hitting shortstop, a game day in April over 41 degrees . . . ).

 

 

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August 23, 2008:

Reading Baseball Alumni Weekend, August 23-24, 2008 Cooperstown, New York

 

 

This was our fifth year of going to Cooperstown for Alumni Game(s) and I

think we had our best time yet! In the first three times we came, we

enjoyed playing a single game at Doubleday and last year we were

thrilled to play a double header. But this year topped them all as we

got three games in Cooperstown: Saturday afternoon at the very nice

Beaver Valley Campground Field, Sunday morning at Doubleday Field, and

late Sunday afternoon at Doubleday again. Add to that some BP and

fielding practice prior to Game 1, a team/family dinner on Saturday

night at O’Hanlan’s Steakhouse, and visits to the Hall of Fame and

baseball shops, and you have a very busy and exhausting weekend of great

fun and camaraderie!

 

We had 21 players in all, and we arrived at different times: some

Friday, some Saturday morning, and even a couple of guys on Sunday.

Those of us who got there early had the chance to hit and shag balls at

the Beaver Valley Campground Field. That was fun, especially seeing Tom

Zaya’s children play ball and watching some of our guys launch balls

over the outfield fence. I think if we had realized what a strenuous

weekend lay ahead of us, we may have chosen not to spend those 3 hours

of “warming up” prior to Game 1.

 

Game 1 was played on a sunny, warm afternoon where the Red Team took

control the game, taking the lead early and building an 8-0 lead. The

Black Team came back late, spurred by Mark DeMasse’s 3-run homer over

the right field fence. To be honest, I can’t remember the play-by-play

details of any of the three games (although I can still vividly remember

the 5th inning vs. in a game vs. Melrose in 1979); it is all a blur!

After the game, we all had a chance to shower (not together), regroup,

refresh, and meet for dinner at O’Hanlan’s Steakhouse (voted

Coopertown’s #1 steakhouse three years in a row. Maybe because

Cooperstown doesn’t have a Wendy’s). It was awesome to see all the

players and some families together for a meal, a re-hashing of the day’s

game, and brash predictions about what might happen in tomorrow’s games.

After the dinner, older players went back to hotels to go to bed;

younger players went someplace else.

 

Game Two was played at Doubleday on a brilliant Sunday morning. I can’t

remember the details other than the Red Team took the lead again, but

this time the Black Team came back strong. Game ended (8-7, I think) in

favor of the Red Team, but it was a nail-biter. The Black Team almost

pulled it out as they had the bases loaded and two-outs in the 9th .

But Red shortstop John Feudo fielded a ground ball and recorded the

final out to preserve the one-run win.

 

So after 9 innings in the sun, we all had a few hours to kill before our

5 o’clock finale. Everyone grabbed something to eat then found a place

to crash for a while. Playing three games in two day didn’t seemed like

a great idea a week ago, but right now we weren’t so sure. But our guys

are ballplayers, and we got ourselves ready for one more game. After

all, how could we not be excited about playing on the same field as some

of baseball’s all-time greats? It is awe-inspiring to be standing in the

same batter’s box as Aaron, Mays, Mantle, Williams, and Fratto.

In this game, the Black Team was determined to avoid a sweep and took a

3-0 lead. The Red Team came back to tie and the lead went back and forth

until it was tied 5-5. The Red Team forged ahead and appeared to have

their sweep (and bragging rights for the next 12 months) wrapped up when

they took an 8-5 lead into the bottom of the 9^th . But the Black Team

would not go down easily. They mounted a rally which I remember

including nice hits by Bob Macaluso, Brian DeMasse, and John Barrett,

among others. Yet a nifty double play by the Red infield left the Black

Team with two outs and the potential tying run on 3rd base. Up came

Josh Driscoll, who was being berated by his “friends” on the Red Team.

Some suggested to walk Driscoll, yet the dangerous Mark DeMasse was on

deck. So we pitched to Java and he launched a bomb over the left field

fence for a walk-off homer and 9-8 win. It was the first time I have

ever seen both winning and losing teams equally excited about the sudden

outcome of a game! What a thrilling and perfect end to our 3-game series

and alumni weekend.

 

Some general comments about our play: I think people in attendance were

impressed with the quality of play; I agree – I think we look pretty

good out there. Interesting to see what skills we retain and which

erode. Clearly, guys can still hit. Just smashes all over the field all

weekend. And guys catch the ball just fine, both on the ground and in

the air. The throwing, however, seems to be a struggle (tough transition

from softball to baseball diamond!). There seemed to be a few throws

from the left side of the infield that did not quite reach their

destination (actually, they did – on a few hops). And, frankly, our

running is not what I used to be. We had some long (off the wall)

singles and played station to station baseball. Scoring position was no

longer 2nd base; although we /usually/ were able to score from 3rd

base on one of those long singles. The pitchers did great; threw strikes

at a speed that was hittable, yet challenging enough. Two complete games

in Game 3 by Matt Morrison and Mark DeMasse were all-time firsts. The

catching was fine, too; very few balls got past the catchers.

I am sure you guys remember the game details better than I, but I

clearly recall how well each guy played.

 

So here is a description about the exploits of each of our 21 players, in no particular order:

 

BLACK TEAM (1-2)

Dan Callahan '03 - played all 27 innings in center field; had a great

defensive series, as he made plays going left, right, back, and a diving

play coming in.

Duckey Turenne '79 - first time in Cooperstown; did well with three

base hits in two games and some good plays in the field.

Pete Collins '79 - a Cooperstown regular; he swung the bat well, as he

always does, and made all the plays in the OF. Pete, at age 47, still

has that beautiful left-handed swing.

Mark DeMasse '02 – had a terrific all-around weekend. He hit homer at

Beaver Valley and hit one off the top of the wall at Doubleday On

Sunday, he had an Iron Man performance at Doubleday where he caught 9

innings in the am and pitched all 9 in the afternoon. Got first ever

complete game alumni game win!

Brian DeMasse '03 – a former alumni MVP, Brian once again showed his

great versatility: he pitched (he took it easy on us and did not utilize

his nasty curve ball), played good D, and smashed the ball to all fields

all weekend.

John Barrett '84 - comes to every Cooperstown Alumni Game and shows

that he still has it. Pitched in two games and showed some pop with the

bat. Got robbed of possible homer in Game 2 and then hit a key double in

the gap in winning rally in Game 3.

Josh "Java" Driscoll '95 - gave us the most memorable moment of the

entire weekend with his two-out, two-run walk-off homer to win Game 3,

9-8, for the Black Team. With two outs and tying run on third base, hit

an absolute "no doubt about it" bomb to win the game, capture the Black

Team MVP Award, and create a good topic for conversation for the 4-hour

ride home.

Bob Donnelly (non-alumnus) - Pete Collins' brother-in-law had a great

weekend where he played good defense, pitched a bit, and hit the ball

well in all three games. A good guy and we are glad to have him join us.

Tony DeMasse - the elder statesman of our group at age 55.8, Tony is a

tough guy who played all three games. Played a flawless OF and hit the

ball hard all weekend. Probably hit hardest out of the weekend with a

screaming bullet to 3b that almost tore a hole in 3rd baseman's gut. A

great guy whose 3 sons have been outstanding players for us.

Mark Torrisi '91 – his second time playing in Cooperstown and Mark had

a terrific performance. Played excellent infield defense, including

making several plays at short (Mark was one of few guys who threw ball

across the diamond in the air). Also had a good offensive weekend,

including scorching a triple down the right field line.

Bob Macaluso –’82 – Maco is a Cooperstown classic, for several

reasons. Basically got out of the car after a 7-hour drive and proceeded

to get a base hit every at bat. A great hitter with a sweet swing, Maco

complemented his hitting by catching all 9 innings in Game 3 for the

Black Team.

 

RED TEAM (2-1)

Jim Lucci '85 – Always one of the best players on the field, Looch

continues to make plays in the infield and outfield and is an extra base

hit threat every time he steps up to the plate. Was slowed a bit this

year with a Game 2 injury where he dove for a ball in right field and

injured his arm. But that didn’t keep Looch from displaying his love of

the game and great camaraderie.*

Scott Farris '85 – Just a hitting machine who went something like 11

for 13, with a couple doubles. Scott hit line drives to left, center,

and right field very at bat. Also starred in the field with nice plays

in CF and shortstop. Was in running for Black Team MVP until Looch cast

deciding vote against him.

Jason Zerfas '99 – Zerf had a terrific series where he pitched, played

good defense all over the field, and smoked the ball. Hit one off the

top of the fence in left center field at Doubleday and ripped singles

and doubles each game. Prior to Game 1 at Beaver Valley, put on a BP

show where he hit about 10 home runs into the woods.

Matt Morrison JV Coach – Matt is an outstanding player who can do it

all. He can catch, play INF or OF, and pitched a complete Game 3. Very

impressive with the bat, Matt stung the ball all weekend, ripping

singles and doubles in each game.

Jon Vedder ‘83 – Like Bob Mac, got out of the car, into the box, and

ripped the ball. Stung the ball in both games and made the best

defensive play of the weekend with a fabulous backhanded diving play in

RF, robbing batter of a hit. “V” made a great effort to get to the games

and his excellent play made it worthwhile.

Dan Foley '98 – Dan still complements his excellent play with his

extraordinary attitude and enthusiasm. His love for the game is

contagious! Still plays good INF defense, turned a few DP’s, and rips

line drives nearly every at bat.

John Feudo '95 – Probably made more defensive plays in 3 games than

anyone else. Made a couple remarkable plays at 3b on in-between hops and

got hot at SS where he made plays to his left and to his backhand.

Chuck Ross '74 - showed why he is in RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame, as he

pitched, made plays in the infield and outfield, and launched a couple

deep drives. At age 52, Chuck is amazes us with his skill and hitting power.

Tom Zaya '87 – Made his first Cooperstown appearance a memorable one.

Made plays all over the field, including leaping play at fence in RF and

multitude of plays in infield. Then hit singles and doubles to all parts

of the park, scored runs and drove them in. Was voted MVP for the

series-winning Red Team.

Pete Moscariello '71 - caught 23 innings, including all 18 on Sunday,

mostly because the catcher has the shortest run on/off field.

 

It was great to see families and friends on the trip. Many thanks for

joining us to:

Judy Turenne (Duckey’s wife), and their two children (this will go on

our website, so I will not state children’s names).

Claire Zaya (Tom’s wife) and their three children. It was great fun to

have the Zaya kids take BP and shag some balls in the OF at Beaver Valley.

Molly Ross (Chuck’s wife), an avid fan of baseball and her husband,

who made her 2nd trip to Cooperstown.

Pam DeMasse, who joined husband and two sons on the trip. Pam has had

three sons play for us and has probably made 8-10 trips to Cooperstown

between RMHS and Alumni Games.

Danny Callahan’s girlfriend, Jessica, who enjoyed her first look at

Reading Baseball Alumni

Hayley Barrett (John’s wife), and their two children. Also Haley’s

mom, Mrs. Dalton, joined the family who, after Cooperstown, were

continuing on to Niagra Falls.

 

If any of you guys have any game details, stories, or quotes to share

with the group, please do so. Your input can only add to the entire

experience. I will tell one quick funny story. After Game Two, some of

us were in the parking lot in front of Doubleday, and Hayley Barrett was

talking about John’s near home run (Tom Zaya made a leaping catch of

John’s blast on the warning track). She said, “I would have bought a

t-shirt that says, ‘My husband hit a homerun on Doubleday Field’.” Quick

as a flash, Jim Lucci quipped, “My wife loves those shirts!”

Well, I hope you all had as much fun as I did. The baseball was great

(it is gratifying to hear umpires and fans inquire about our group and

note how unique it is to see an alumni family all playing together), the

dinner together was wonderful, and the continuing and solidifying of

relationships was the best of all. I can’t begin to tell you how much I

love our Alumni Club and our opportunities to spend time together. It is

a thrill for me to see players from four decades all playing

together, enjoying their common bond. Whether you played in 1979 like

Pete and Duckey or in 2003 like Brian and Dan, you’ve all had similar

experiences and share the great Reading Baseball tradition. As I said

after Game 3, it was great coaching you guys; it is even better

playing alongside each of you. I was proud of you all back when you

played ball for us in high school; I am even more proud of you now.

Thank you all for making the trip and thank you for your continued

contributions to Reading Baseball. I can’t wait to play ball and hang

out with you again!

 

We posted a couple photos on the website, but if you want to see some

real good ones, go to http:www.cooperstowntime.com

The photographer from Doubleday posts

them there and offers them for sale. I must say that, this year, he was

very nice and accommodating and had nice things to say about our group.

So I encourage you to purchase some photos.

 

I am already looking forward to next year and would like to know your

preferences. I think we should try to get two games at Doubleday: do you

prefer one on Sat. and one on Sun. or two on same day? Do you want me to

try to get Beaver Valley again? I did like that set up because it gave

us a chance for BP and shagging balls. Plus it gave the kids a chance to

play. Is there any weekends to avoid next year?

 

We can’t apply until January, so you can let me know your preferences

now or later.

 

That’s it for now; thanks again for a great weekend. Take care of

yourselves and your families and let’s stay in touch,

 

Coach Mosc

 

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June 28, 2008:

 

Alumnus Plays at Wimbledon

Congratulations to Jamie Cerretani '00, who is playing tennis at Wimbledon this week! Jamie has earned a spot into the regular draw in the Gentleman's Doubles. He and his playing partner (Victor Hanescu) won their first match Tuesday, June 24 and will advance to the next round.

We remember Jamie as an All-Scholastic and Middlesex League MVP baseball player, but in his freshman year at RMHS, he played in the state finals in singles. Then he had an outstanding career at Brown University where he set the school record for matches won in a career. Jamie has been playing on a pro circuit all over the world in the last couple years.

Best of luck to Jamie in this exciting opportunity.

Alumni Babies

Congratulations to David Zaya '94 and his wife, Alison, on the birth of their first child. Isabella Grace Zaya was born on June 3. Isabella weighed 7 lbs. 5 oz. at birth and we understand that mom and baby are doing well. We wish much happiness and good fortune to Dave, Alison, and Isabella.

Dan Robinson '94 and his wife, Wendy, had their third child on May 8.

Isaac Daniel Robinson now joins big brother, Colby, and big sister, Ella, in the Robinson household. Best of luck to Wendy, Dan, and their family.

Boston College Hall of Fame

Congratulations to Steve Langone '96 who recently was notified that he will be inducted into the Boston College Athletic Hall of Fame (more details will come later). Steve was an All Big East selection as both a Designated Hitter and a Pitcher while at BC. During is senior year, he led the entire nation (Division I) in ERA and then went on to a successful professional career. Steve is already a member of the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame and led his team to the state championship in 1996.

Recent College Graduates

Congratulations to our Reading Baseball Alumni who have graduated from college this spring. We hope we have not missed anyone:

Brian DeMasse Merrimack College

Mark Andrick Endicott College

Dennis DiCicco Bentley College

Eric Sample Bentley College

Bryan DelloRusso Tufts University

John Dudley UMass (Amherst)

 

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May 1, 2008:

 

Alumni Letter is posted on this site – we will not mail it out this year, so please enjoy electronically!

Also, we have started a blog and you can get current Alumni Club news at http://readingbaseball.blogspot.com

 

Congratulations to Jonathan Cignetti '93 and his wife, Erin. They are pleased to announce the birth of their daughter, Ella Riley Cignetti (6lbs, 12oz and 19" tall). Ella was born on April 17 at 2:43pm. Cigs reports that both Mom and Ella are doing well.

Also congratulations to Rich Foohey '89, whose wife, Tracy, just had their 3rd little girl, also on Friday, April 17. Rowan Joan Foohey was born 10:41AM, she weighed 8 lbs even and was 19.5 inches. Rich says that big sisters Kyla and Neila are very excited about their little sister.

 

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Third Annual

"HOLIDAY HOT STOVE PARTY and COMEDY NIGHT"

Sponsored by:

"Reading Baseball Club" and Carter Law Office of Reading

 

for further information

click here

 

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November 17, 2007:

 

The RMHS Athletic Department Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony this past Saturday night was a terrific event. Mike Moscariello '77 did his usual outstanding job as Master of Ceremonies. Congratulations to alumnus Mark Angelo '78, who was inducted for his brilliant baseball career (as well as football and track) and who gave a wonderful, heartfelt acceptance speech. Mark's beautiful family was there, including his alumnus brother Bobby Angelo '83. Mark was also supported by some of his old teammates who came to the induction: Dan Jones '78, Jack Marlin '79, Ducky Turenne '79, Steve Mello '79, and the incomparable John Gregorio '79. It was great to see all these guys together again.

 

There were additional alumni on hand as the '95 football team and '88 hockey team were inducted. So *Chris Smith '96 and Dave Pizzotti '96 were there, as they were captains of the '95 undefeated Super Bowl Champion football team (this was the 2nd team inducted that was captained by Chris and Dave. Those two guys, along with Steve Langone, captained the '96 Hall of Fame baseball team). One 1988 hockey player, *Mike O'Keefe, was also a baseball player, so he was at the event as was Jon Vedder '83 whose brother, Mike, was an '88 hockey captain.  Kevin Mello '84 was in attendance, both to join in the celebration for Mark and to support his brother-in-law, who was captain of the '88 hockey team. It was good to see Jeff Miller '85, who was captained the '85 hockey team with new HOF inductee, Steve Smith. Ryan Carroll '98 and his family were there to see Matt Carroll be the first RMHS swimmer to be inducted. Last, but not least, Scott Farris '85, was there for Mark Angelo and to see wrestling Coach Tom Darrin inducted.

 

So that's a lot of baseball guys there. /I hope I did not miss anyone/. Thanks for coming out to support one of our guys; it was great to see you all.

 

Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families,

Coach Mosc

 

see Hall of Fame  photos in Alumni photo section

 

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Reading Baseball Alumni Game August 18-19, 2007 Doubleday Field, Cooperstown, NY:

The Cooperstown Alumni Weekend 2007 was a huge success and great fun, as a record 45 players, family members, and friends traveled to Cooperstown on a beautiful August weekend. Some came by car, some by van, some by Winnebago, and a couple guys in a ’91 Mercury Marquis, but we all got there safely. Twenty-three players, ranging in age 17 to 63 staged an exciting two-game series on the historic ball field.

On Saturday, we played a 5:00 game under clear, chilly conditions and we gave our fans their money's worth (because admission was free). We were very excited to play and once Greg the Groundskeeper gave us the okay to enter the field, we put our game faces on. But first Greg had to gather us together and tell us the rules (no spitting, no swearing, no seeds, no walking on the grass, no standing in front of the dugout, no bunting, no stealing ….). Now go out and have fun!

 

We took pre-game infield/outfield with Honorary Captains Gil Congdon and Scott Farris hitting the fungoes.  During outfield practice, throws intended for "4" were right on the money (to 2nd base).  And the double plays would easily have nipped the runner at 1st base (if she was an 80-year old woman with a walker).  But the pre-game was successful, as not life-threatening injuries occurred.

 

Finally, the game began and it was a wild one. The Black Team came from behind to edge the Red Team in a 17-15 slugfest that featured 47 hits, 9 errors, and 3 homeruns. Highlights included a perfect 6 for 6 night by the Black Team's Brian DeMasse '03, whose tallies included a homerun to left center and a triple down the right field line. Brian added four singles (if one had been a double, he would have hit for the cycle!) to his incredible, MVP performance. Jim Lucci '85 and Matt Morrison (our current JV coach) also homered for the Black Team. Offensive star for the Red Team was Scott Farris ’85 who banged out four hits.

Black Team pitchers included Brian DeMasse, John Barrett '84 (“Bart” showed that he still has the stuff that made him and all-league pitcher in high school), and winning pitcher Matt Morrison. Mark DeMasse '02, Jim Lucci, and versatile Matt Morrison shared the catching duties. Red Team pitchers were Jason Zerfas '99, Scott Farris, EJ Stanton '82 (the big lefty still looks great on the mound and he can still bring it!), and Rob DeMoura '02. Bob Macaluso '82 and Pete Moscariello '71 were the Black Team's catchers.

After the game, both teams joined family and friends for dinner at world-famous O'Hanlan's Steakhouse. We had 43 people together for a terrific evening of food, discussion about that night’s game (we did not fill out and post one of those blue Game Summary sheets), and anticipation of tomorrow’s game (scouting report on opposing team: old, slow, tendency to nod off in middle innings). Many thanks to Mike Spurr ’82, who generously picked up the tab for his table of twenty diners. After dinner, the older guys retired early, while the younger guys went out on the town (or village). While some slept soundly in their hotel beds or Winnebago, a couple guys found rest on a picnic table in a campground (better than sleeping in the Marquis).

The second game was played at 10:00 am Sunday and again the weather was perfect. After the mandatory 30 seconds of stretching and a half-speed half-lap, both teams were ready to go. We did not take infield practice, hoping that the previous day’s pre-game workout would “carry over”.  

This time the Red Team avenged their loss with a 9-7 come from behind win. Leading the way was MVP Chuck Ross '74 who blasted a 3-runhomer over everything in left field. Not many 51-year old guys have done that! The Red Team was down, 7-5, in the top of the 9th but staged a rally, highlighted by Jason Zerfas’ 2-run single that put the Red Team ahead. In the bottom of the 9th, the Black Team got the potential tying runs on base, but a nifty 6-4-3 double play from Scott Farris to Chris Woods to EJ Stanton ended the threat and the game. The game featured some great defense, particularly by the Red Team. Earlier in the game, with the bases loaded and two outs, Rich Foohey '89 smoked a line drive toward right center, but 2nd baseman Chris Woods leaped/dove to his right and made the backhand play to end the inning. Later, left fielder Jon Vedder '83 tracked down a drive toward the left field line, saving a sure double and then robbed Jim Lucci of a homerun by reaching above the fence and snaring the long ball. Black played some good “D” as well, with slick fielding Mike Spurr ’82 making a handful of tough plays.

 

In addition to Chuck Ross’ homer, Jim Lucci also went deep in this game, making it two round-trippers for the weekend, and three in his Doubleday alumni career. Pitchers for this game were Gil Congdon (RMHS Baseball Coach from ’69-’76), John Barrett, Brian DeMasse for Black and Jason Zerfas, EJ Stanton, and winning pitcher Rob DeMoura for Red.

 

In addition to the game summary, it was great fun to have four DeMasse’s playing together: brothers Mark ’02, Brian ’03, and Tommy ’08 who all joined their dad, Tony (who, despite an injury, rapped out four hits). The DeMasse’s love the game and sure can play! We had a great span of alumni, with players from the 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and 00’s. It brought back great memories to see old teammates come together. For example, Bob Maco, EJ, and Mike Spurr were all from ’82 and Scott Farris, Jim Lucci, and Greg Ferrazzani were from the ’85 team. Up in the stands, our loyal fans took time out from laughing to motivate us with “The Doubleday Wave”, as six fans stretched out from backstop to left field corner to perform the synchronized cheer.

 

The lasting impression from the games is that, “Boy, these guys can still play ball!”. Guys in their 40’s and 50’s still have the competitive drive and still love to play the game. It is amazing to see some guys hit better now than ever before and one can see that these guys were beautiful athletes, although maybe just slowed a bit by age. It is a thrill for this old coach to watch Jon Vedder glide across the outfield, Pete Collins’ sweet swing, Rich Foohey’s intensity, Mike Spurr’s spirit, and Greg Ferrazzani’s graceful actions: just as you were in high school. And we all enjoy the interaction and great play from Scott and Looch: fierce rivals and best of friends. And, in case you didn’t notice, Bob Macaluso still looks great in the uniform – he’s a ballplayer!  

 

I would like to sincerely thank all the players, friends, and family who made this alumni weekend so special. We worked hard to make this happen and it exceeded my highest expectations. Let’s “play two” again next summer. I think those of us who have experienced Reading Baseball know we are part of a special and lasting fraternity. It didn’t matter if you graduated in ’82 or ’02; you are all part of the same family.

 

Where else, but in Reading Baseball, can a 22 year-old recent college graduate (Dan Callahan) feel totally comfortable traveling, lodging, and talking baseball with the coaches (Mosc, Farris, Zerf, Matt M.). With Reading Baseball, there are no barriers; just friends.

 

So thank you all, I came away from the weekend happy, excited, a bit sore, but most of all, very, very proud.

The complete rosters were as follows:

Black Team
Gil Congdon - RMHS Head Baseball Coach 1969-1976

Pete Collins ‘79

John Forelli (Pete Collins’ brother-in-law)

Mike Spurr ‘82

John Barrett ’84

Jim Lucci '85

Rich Foohey ‘89

Matt Morrsion (our JV coach)

Tony DeMasse (father of 2 alumni and one current player)

Mark DeMasse ‘02

Brian DeMasse ‘03

Tommy DeMasse ‘07

 

Red Team

Chuck Ross ‘74

EJ Stanton ‘82

Bob Macaluso ‘82

Jon Vedder ‘83

Greg Ferrazzani ‘85

Scott Farris ‘85

Chris Woods (close friend of Lucci & Farris)

Jason Zerfas ‘99

Rob DeMoura ‘02

Danny Callahan ‘03

Pete Moscariello ‘71

 

And many thanks to family and friends for making the trip and supporting the players (I hope I did not miss anyone):

 

Pam Congdon ** Molly Ross ** Mary Lucci and children Amanda, Tony, Melaina ** Haley Barrett and children Rose and John ** Pam DeMasse ** Tracy Foohey and very young children Kyla and Neila ** Jack Ferrazzani ** The Family Woods – too many to list – 9 in total!

see game photos in Alumni photo section

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September 22, 2007:

 

 

Congratulations to Scott Farris '85, who has just opened a new pizza shop this week. Scott and his brother, Grayel, own the Boston Pizza Company at 150 Washington St., in Haverhill. Alumni Jim Lucci, Tom Zaya, and Gary d'Entremont have already eaten there and we gave Boston Pizza Company a big THUMBS UP!  By far the best pizza and calzone you'll ever have. Plus great variety and prices. Worth making a trip or call 978 374-1111.

 

Did you read about Wilmington vs. Lawrence football game this fall? Score was 47-33 Wilmington, with seven touchdowns scored by Wilmington's Ernie Mello. Ernie is the son of alumnus Steve Mello '79.  Ernie had 391 yards rushing on 41 carries. Holy cow! Ernie already has 14 touchdowns on the young season. Steve and his brother Kevin '84 were outstanding football (and baseball) players in their time; but hard to match young Ernie's feats. Best of luck to Ernie for the rest of the season.

 

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September 2, 2007:

We are saddened to hear about the passing of one of our alumni: Anthony "Andy" Curto, who graduated in 1977, died on August 29, succumbing to cancer. Andy played on the first team that I coached in '77. Andy was a great player, particularly pitcher, who went 6-2 with a 1.09 ERA, earning Middlesex League MVP. That summer, he was awesome for the Reading Legion team, going 7-0 with a 1.85 ERA and hitting very well.

More importantly, he was a very nice guy who was well-liked by his teammates and coaches. You guys may have met, in Cooperstown, some of Andy's teammates: Joe Prew, Mike Moscariello, Gary Johnson, and Shawn Kennedy, all of whom had high regard for Andy. He was soft-spoken and very respectful; never had a bad word to say about anyone. He ran into some difficulties after high school, particularly after his brother was killed in 1978. I know Andy had a rough time in life, but he left us with many great memories. We hope he is at peace now; it is always tough when we lose one of our own.

Now we have some happy news:

Jamie ('97)and Annie (Cuffe) Severance gave birth to their first child on August 15th; Katherine Alexandra Severance. Congratulations and best of luck to the Severances, who live in Tewksbury.

Also congratulations to Dave (DJ) Johnson '87 and his wife, Diana, on the birth of their second child. Brooke Johnson was born on July 31 and according to her dad, she "throws right, bats left and unlike her old man, has got some wheels." DJ and Diana also have a little boy, Brady.

It was pointed out that I was wrong on the alumni brother-in-law thing. Connor Hardy '00 emailed to say that his sister married Chris Smith '96 so Connor and Smitty were the first alumni BIL. Oops, sorry about that, guys; Coach's memory must be slipping. And then I remembered that we have even a previous pair: Gary Johnson '77 is married to Terry Dennehy's '80 sister, Joanne. So those guys have been BILs for a long time!

Congratulation to Tim Bryant '01 whose Lexington Blue Sox of the Intercity League won the championship this summer. The Blue Sox were down, two games to none in the final series, but beat the Cassell Club three straight times to capture the title.

That's it for now. Cooperstown game report should be coming to you soon. Take care and stay in touch,

Coach

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August 2007:

 

We have some nice alumni news to pass along, with plenty of congratulations and good wishes:

 

Congratulations to Tom ('91) and Nicole Quinn on the birth of their 2nd child. Elizabeth Quinn, whom her parents call Libby, was born on May 24.  Libby, her big brother, Jack and their parents live on Cross Street, Reading.

 

Congratulation to Ted and Jane Bryson, on the birth of their 3rd grandchild. Coach Bryson's oldest son, Mark, and his wife, Margaret, had their 2nd child. Ava Noel Bryson was born on August 15.  Ace reports that Ava, her big brother, Nicholas, Margaret, and Mark are all doing well.

 

On the wedding scene, best of luck to Josh (Java) Driscoll ('95) and his bride, Gina, as they prepare to be married on Labor Day weekend.  And congratulations to Anthony Caporale ('95) who just became engaged to his long-time sweetheart, Katie Donahue. Capa is a great guy in every regard, but we think he got the best end of this union, as Katie is a terrific girl. Katie's brother is alumnus Kevin Donahue ('02). We think Capa and Kevin will be our first alumni brothers-in-law.

 

In baseball news, congratulations to Jesse Woods ('00) who was recently named as an Assistant Baseball Coach at Boston College. Jesse has been an assistant at his alma mater, Wheaton College, for the past couple years. He has earned the reputation as an excellent young coach and recruiter and will bring his talents to Division I and the ACC. Best of luck to Jesse as his club will play Top 25 teams such as Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina.

 

We will send out the Alumni Game at Cooperstown report soon. In the meantime, you can view some great photos at cooperstown.photoreflect.com.

 

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July 2007: 

Steve Gath Plays at Fenway Park

Congratulations to Steve Gath ’03 who was selected to play in the 33^rd annual New England Intercollegiate Baseball Association All-Star Game at Fenway Park on July 22. This game features New England’s top collegiate players, where the Division I All-Stars play vs. the Division II/III All-Stars. Steve started the game at shortstop and had several assists, including a brilliant slow-roller play on the first batter of the game. Steve also went one for two, with a triple to right-center, and then scored a run. The College Division team won, 2-0, and Steve was named the game’s Most Valuable Player!  

Steve has an amazing career at Bentley College, where he started at shortstop for four years, playing in all 177 of his team’s games. Steve hit over .300 in each of his four seasons and finished with a career average of .320 (remember, his league uses wood bats). Steve amassed 225 hits, which is second in school history. He is Bentley’s career leader in games played, games started, at bats (703) and assists (619). Steve his .322 in his senior year, withy 67 hits and 40 runs scored and was named to the Northeast 10 All-Star team.  

(see accompanying pictures in Alumni Photo section)

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Cooperstown 2007

We are still looking for alumni who would like to play on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown on the weekend of August 18 and 19. Guys who have played in our previous Cooperstown Alumni Games will tell you that they had a great time. So please call your old teammates and urge them to join us for a weekend of baseball and fun. Contact Coach Mosc at petemosc@comcast.com  if you are interested.

Summer Baseball

We have several alumni playing ball this summer. There are probably more guys playing than are listed below, but here are the ones we know about:

Steve Gath ’03 is playing for Braintree in the Cranberry League

Tim Bryant ’01 is pitching for the Lexington Blue Sox in the Intercity League

Steve Langone ’96 is playing for the Wakefield Merchants in the Intercity League

Mark Andrick ’04 is playing for Mooney Dental in the Intercity League

Dennis DiCicco ’04 is playing for the Cutters in the Boston Men’s Baseball League

Tim Melanson ’05 is playing for the Cutters in the Boston Men’s Baseball League

Mike DiCicco ’05 is playing for the Cutters in the Boston Men’s Baseball League

Mark DeMasse ’02 is playing for North Reading in the North Shore League

Also, Jesse Woods ’00, who is an assistant coach at Wheaton College, is the Head Coach of a team in the Michigan Collegiate League this summer. Bob Macaluso ’82 is again the Head Coach of the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League. This spring, Bob was an assistant coach at Cal State Los Angeles, a Division II team who went to the World Series in Montgomery, Alabama and made it to the semifinals. The Golden Eagles set a school record with 45 wins (45-17-1) in 2007.

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October 2006:

 

I thought you all might like to hear how the Alumni Game went in Cooperstown last weekend. Well, as usual, it was a great weekend for Reading Baseball. The game, the team dinner, hanging at the hotel, downtown, going out after dinner was all part of the package that made the weekend fun and memorable. We had 19 players in all, plus some wives, kids, parents, and friend mad the trip. Guys arrived during the day on Saturday, anywhere from morning to late evening, and most of us stayed at the Best Western Motel. We met for dinner, all 34 of us, at O'Hanlan's Steakhouse, which was right next to the hotel. We had a good meal and a good time, sharing old stories about playing ball for RMHS.

 

We became concerned as rain came in Saturday night and when we got up on Sunday, it was still raining. You all know how particular the groundskeeper is at Doubleday, so we were not confident about getting to play our 10:00 am game. Amazingly, he did not call off the game, but pushed our starting time to 12:30 to allow the rain to pass and time to get the field ready. The groundskeeper, Greg, did a great job and the field was in good shape to start the game.  Joe Prew and Gary Johnson, two of our three captains in 1977, were named Honorary Captains of their respective teams for this game.We all warmed up, which consisted of playing short toss for 3 minutes in the outfield and then jogging back to the dugout (actually a couple guys jogged the entire warning track on the outfield, mentioning how long it was and that there should be a water station halfway, like in long road races).  We did not have time for pre-game infield or outfield, which is fine because that just would have tired us out. The game finally started, under threatening skies and the Black Team jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the 2nd inning. But the Red Team quickly cut the lead to 2-1. Then it began to rain hard. Greg made us get off the field and he re-tarped, but the rain stopped and we resumed play shortly thereafter. The Red Team must have held a team meeting during the rain delay, because they came out swinging and bolted to a 5-2 lead after three innings. The Blacks came back to 5-4 and left the bases loaded in the 6th inning, but the Reds pushed across two big insurance runs. In the top of the 7th, the Black Team was up but it started to rain hard again and was called off.

 

So the game was ended after 6+ innings with the Red Team victorious by a 7-4 score.

The game was actually very well played as pitchers threw strikes. The best hitter on the day was Scott Severance of the Red Team. He led off the game with a line shot single to center and kept hitting from there, going 4 for 4. Rob DeMoura had a single and a double and pitched 3 scoreless innings for the winning team. Scott and Rob were named co-MVPs. Jason Zerfas hit the longest ball of the day, and towering double to deep left field. Java Driscoll also hit a long double. Pete Collins showed that he can still play with a nice hit and a couple plays in right field. Dan Foley got on base three times with an RBI single and two walks for the Black Team; Jim Morrison (Matt's dad) scorched a triple down the right field line for the Blacks, and Coach Mosc went 3 for 3.

 

Scott Farris made the top defensive play of the day from his shortstop position with a nice running catch of a foul pop up. Another defensive gem was a 5-4-3 double play from Chris Woods to Dan Foley to Jim Morrison to snuff a Red threat and retire the speedy batter. Pitchers for the Red Team were John Barrett, DeMoura, Joe Prew, and Jason Zerfas. Mark DeMasse. Joe Prew, and Jim Lucci shared the catching duties. For the Black Team, Scott Farris started on the mound, followed by Tim Bryant, and Matt Morrison. Coach Mosc was the catcher for the Black squad.

 

We were able to get a nice team photo in the dugout after the game, which can be seen on this site (Alumni Photos section). The game was great fun; seeing guys who played in 1977 team up with guys who played in 2002 was awesome. For one day, all Reading Baseball players, young and old, were teammates. I must thank every one of you guys who made the trip and please thank your families who came, as well. Of all the baseball activities in a given year this is my very favorite. To hang out with you guys for a weekend and then play alongside you is an absolute treat for me. So thank you all and we look forward to doing it again.

 

Here is a list of all 19 Cooperstown players: Joe Prew '77, Gary Johnson '77, Pete Collins '79, Jon Vedder '83, John Barrett '84, Jim Lucci '85, Scott Farris '85, John Feudo '95, Josh Driscoll '95, Dan Foley '98, Jason Zerfas '99, Scott Severance '00, Tim Bryant '01, Mark DeMasse '02, Rob DeMoura '02, Matt Morrison (JV Coach), Jim Morrison (Matt's dad), Chris Woods (brother-in-law of Luccis), and Coach Mosc.

 

Coach Mosc

 

Here's more alumni news:

Congratulations to Rich and Tracy Foohey: Here is Rich's report on the birth of his second child: "Neila Elizabeth Foohey was born Tuesday October 3 at 8:48 AM. She weighed in at 8 lbs 13 oz and 20  inches. Mom and baby are doing great. Big sister Kyla was very excited and interested in her little sister which is encouraging. We were/are a little concerned. At 18 months we're not sure if she fully gets it since Tracy and Neila are still in the hospital but she seems to be a lot more in the know then we've been giving her credit for. Regardless so far so good." Best wishes to Rich and his family from all of us.

Just heard, via Dan Foley, that Kevin Phinney '99 just got married. Congratulations to Kevin and his bride, Lynne, whom he met at UNH.

 

One last note: The RMHS Hall of Fame Committee has just announced the next group of inductees. Congratulations to Reading Baseball alumnus, Mark Angelo '78, who will be inducted into the RMHS Athletic Hall of Fame in November 2007. Mark had a fantastic high school career (baseball, football, track) and will be recognized for his outstanding achievements. Congratulations from all of us.

 

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August 2006:

Congratulations to:

John Feudo '95 and his wife, Michelle, on the birth of their first child. Ryan James Feudo was born on February 23, with stats: 6.133 lbs., 19 in.

Dan Robinson '94, his wife Wendy, on the birth of Ella Virginia Robinson.  She was born at 10:18 am on June 26. Dan and his family recently bought a home on Lowell Street, in Reading.

 

Mark Tango '88 and his wife on the birth of Mark Tango Jr. . He was born in November, 2005. The Tango family now includes 3 girls and one boy.

 

Pete McHugh '92 and his wife, Lonnie, on the birth of their baby boy, Austin James McHugh. He was born on December 3, 2005.

 

Paul Sumner '91 and his wife, Diane, on the birth of Allyson Lee Sumner. She was born Sunday, June 11 at 6:45pm and weighed 6lbs 4oz.

 

Greg '93 and his wife, Kim, on the birth of their son, Ian. We wish them the best of luck. Ian William Smith was born on July 18 at 9 lbs 5 oz ; 21.5".

 

Congratulations and good luck to alumni whose wives are expecting babies: Rich Foohey '89, Mike Moscariello '77, Jim Murphy '93, and Joe Picano '81.

 

And one engagement without much detail at this point: Josh "Java"

Driscoll is engaged to be married. Congrats and good luck.

 

Some old news:

 

We had another successful Mini-School on March 11 & 12. We made about $7500 for the program which, although it is less than a usual year, it is still a significant and much needed sum. Many thanks to all our alumni who volunteered (I still owe you guys dinner) to work the clinic at make our fundraiser successful: Joe Prew '77, Jim Lucci '85, Scott Farris '85, Tom Zaya '87, Dave Zaya '94, Dan Robinson '94, Jason Zerfas '99, Dan Callahan '03, Bryan DelloRusso '04, John Dudley '04. Of course, thanks to Coach Bryson for working, as well.

 

Summer News:

 

Matt Chasse '01 played this summer in the Boston Baseball League. Matt pitched and played first base for the Spinners. Tim Melanson ('05 captain) has also played on that team. I know a lot of guys played in various leagues this summer; will try to compile that list and send it out.

 

Good luck to Pete Croft '01. He is enrolled in The Ohio State Medical School this fall. Pete had a great trip to Greece prior to his departure to Ohio. We know he will do well. A couple of Pete's former teammates are continuing their education: Paul Melanson is in a PhD program at Dartmouth College and Greg Barchard is attending graduate school Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

 

Coach Bryson and I went to New Britain this summer to see Steve Langone and we met up with Andy Hodges (1980 tri-captain and Middlesex League MVP) and his son, Daniel. Andy lives in nearby Southington CT (which has an outstanding HS baseball program; Daniel is a catcher) and teaches

math at Southington HS. Andy is a terrific guy and his spirit and enthusiasm brought back great memories of the incredible team he led to the league title in '80.

 

Jonathan Cignetti '93 will be inducted into the Babson College Athletic Hall of Fame on September 28. Congratulations to Cigs; we all know how hard he worked to become an extraordinary player. Go to the Babson Baseball website: www3.babson.edu/Athletics/Baseball/archive.cfm and look at their all-time records. You will see that Cigs holds the single season record for batting average, homeruns, and RBI - the triple crown! Plus some other single season and career records.

 

Jon Whalen '95, who has been Pitching Coach at Pomona College in California, has recently been named as Head Coach at LaVerne Lutheran High School here in southern CA for the upcoming season. Jon says that "this is a relatively new private school that wants to build up their enrollment through sports, so it seems like a very exciting atmosphere in the athletic department. I thought you'd be happy to know that the fundamentals and conditioning of Reading Baseball will now be bi-coastal. I wonder if anyone ever heard of "finger shoots" out here." Congratulations and good luck to Jon.

 

We held out local Alumni Game at Morton Field on Sunday, July 16. The players were Scott Farris '85, Tom Zaya '87, Jon Cignetti '93, Tom Fratto '94, Jason Zerfas '99, Mark DeMasse '02, Rob DeMoura '02, Brian DeMasse '03, and Coach Mosc '57. We started with a homerun derby at Morton. Jon Cignetti edged out Jason Zerfas for the long ball title. Cigs was especially impressive because he used a wood bat. We were about to begin a hitting game when the Newton Legion team showed up for a 12:00 game vs. Reading. Now I knew we had the official permit to use Morton until 12 noon, but since we only had 9 guys, we graciously gave up the field. We relocated to the turf practice field and decided to have a hitting game with 3 teams of three. Cigs must have decided on the teams, because

somehow we got grouped by age. Farris, Zaya, and Mosc got put together, the two DeMasses and DeMoura were another team, and the big, strong, long-ball trio of Fratto, Cignetti, and Zerfas were the third team and heavy favorites. Now the turf field is maybe 120 yards long but only 50 or so yards wide, so we had to find a way to set up overhand toss so we would keep the ball within the confines of the field. We did so by eliminating hits to the opposite field (I know that goes against the

most sacred of Reading Baseball hitting game rules, but we had no choice). In fact, we decided that if a ball was hit to the opposite field, over the fence, and into the Field House parking lot, it would be minus 10 points. The oldest team batted first and slapped out a few little hits, and the De team went next, but could not overtake the first club. Now the big boys stepped up, ready to launch balls out of the

park. But after a ball was hit into the right field parking lot, we shut down the operation. That was just as well because a group of soccer kids needed the field.

 

Moral of the story is that any time and any way we can get alumni together, it is always a good time. We only had 9 guys at this event and we need to get more involved. You guys from the '00's need to get on board and not let the guys from the 70's-80's-90's have all the fun. So

please stay in touch, try to attend events, and generate ideas for more events. I know some guys have talked about alumni cookouts, golf, 9 on 9 baseball games, wiffle ball tournaments, etc. So if you want to do something this summer, let me know. Of course, just getting a few guys to go out to dinner, go to the field to take BP, or go to a ball game would be great, too.

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April 2006:

 

On the college baseball scene:

Kevin Donahue '02 is a senior at Endicott College.  His club is 13-2 in their conference.

Jon Rosenthal '02, is a senior at Bowdoin College, and getting time as a starting catcher. Rosy is batting .282.

Steve Gath '03, is a junior at Bentley, where he is hitting .273 (wood bats) with 19 runs, 30 hits, 8 doubles, and 6 stolen base.

Brian DeMasse '03, a junior pitcher at Merrimack College, recently won a

1-0 game. DeMass is 2-3 with a 2.81 for the 10-15 Warriors.

Mark DeMasse '02 is still working back from an injury. Nevertheless, he

is captain of this year's Wheaton College team.

Jesse Woods '00 is an assistant coach at his alma mater, Wheaton.

Jason Kleponis '05 is a freshman at Plymouth State College. He is

batting .286 and also has a win on the mound.

Jason Howse '03, who did well at Colby Sawyer College the last couple years, is unfortunately out of action this season with an injury.

Dave Kaloyanides '01 is a senior outfielder at Sacred Heart University. Kal is hitting .313 with 21 hits and 2 homeruns.

Bob Macaluso's '82 Muhlenberg College squad is having a good season at 15-12 (8-4) in their conference.

Jon Whalen '95 is the Pitching Coach at Pomona College, in California. They are typically a very strong squad but are struggling at 11-19 this season.

Matt Chasse '01 recently tried out for, and earned, a spot in the Boston Baseball League. Matt will be pitching/playing for the Spinners.  Tim Melanson ('05 captain) has also made that team. Scott Reinold '96 has played in the league for three years and his club (White Sox) won the championship last summer. It's good baseball and I know there are divisions for over 30 and over 40 year old players, as well.

Steve Langone is pitching for the Reading Phillies in the AA Eastern League. Steve has pitched in relief three times, going 7 1/3 innings without giving up a run. His club plays in Connecticut in the near future: at New Britain on 4/20-4/23 and Connecticut (Norwich) on 4/24-4/26.

 

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December 2005:

 

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER

 

Our annual Alumni Club Dinner will be on Sunday, January 8 at 6:00 at On the Border, in Woburn.  players last year, so we need to do much better than that).  A special push to you guys who have played in recent years. Other than the 2002 team, we have not been able to attract our younger alumni. So now is the time to get on board. We need everybody to pass the word to your former teammates.

 

HOT STOVE HOLIDAY PARTY

 

We had the first annual Hot Stove Holiday Party on Friday, December 2 at the Hillview Country Club. We expected this to be a fun and successful event, but it turned out to be fantastic, far beyond our expectations. Approximately 300 people attended and enjoyed a terrific dinner and wonderful music/dancing, provided by George Fennelly's (Reading Baseball '78) band, as well as hilarious comedy by four of Boston's best comedians. Lenny Clarke, Don Gavin, Kevin Knox, and Steve Sweeney all performed together, a very rare occurence. Even the comedians commented how unusual it was to have them all in the same room. Boston Bruin legends Terry O'Reilly and Rick Middleton were there (it was Middleton's birthday) and they each spoke briefly and stayed all night.

Their was silent auction of some beautiful items and a live auction, with Lenny Clarke the funniest auctionnaire you'll ever hear. The live auction included a round of golf with Dwight Evans at Salem Country Club, tickets to a Bruins game in a luxury box with some Bruins legends, WEEI Producer  for the Day at the Dennis and Callahan Show, a Tedy Bruschi framed, autographed shirt, and many more. By the way, Steve Ciaccio '90, is Executive Producer of the Dennis and Callahan Show and Chach provided the Producer for a Day item, a basketball signed by all the Celtics, and prime Celtics tickets. The Producer for a Day item alone made a $950 profit for us. Thanks to Chach for his great support.

 

We had several of our alumni friends in attendance and since tickets were $100 per person, we really appreciated their attendance and contribution to the cause. Joe Prew '77 and his wife, Sue were there; also Jack Marlin '79 and his wife, Karen; Dave Gray '83 and his wife, Patty; Scott Farris '85 and his wife, Lisa; Jim Lucci '85, Steve Langone '96, and Jason Zerfas '99. By the way, Dave Gray is Commissioner of Reading Youth Baseball and has done a great job there, including making major renovations to Hunt Field. We also had generous contributions from alumni who were not able to attend the party. Thank you to Lennie DeAngelo '81 and Paul Sumner '91, and to some alumni parents: Al Lucci, Kent George Sr., Paul Langone, and Tom Hunt. I hope I haven't missed anybody.

 

The best thing was this night was just a lot of fun. Everybody had a great time and expressed interest in doing this again. This event was all possible due to the incredible work of many individuals, but especially, Rick Carter of Carter & Coleman Attorneys at Law. Rick had a vision of what he wanted this event to be and he made it all happen. We are very grateful to this group, now called Reading Baseball Club (a non-profit corporation established for the purpose of improving baseball fields in Reading) for all their work. Rick Carter and the group is already planning the next event, a St. Patrick's Day Party at Meadowbrook Country Club and he has gotten Doug Flutie's Band to provide the music. More details will follow later. That's it for now. I hope the Holiday Season is going well for all of you. Take care and stay in touch.

 

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October 2005:

 

 

The Reading Baseball Family is saddened by the loss of

Russell Hunt, Class of 2000, who passed away on September 24, 2005.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Russell and his family.

We miss you, Russell.  We love you.  God Bless You Always.

 

 

 

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August 2005: 

 

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI GAME, DOUBLEDAY FIELD, COOPERSTOWN, NY

 

We were pleased to have the opportunity to play two alumni games this summer: one at Morton Field and one in Cooperstown. After much work, we ultimately got 16 guys to attend/play on August 14. It was pretty cool that we had players from four different decades; this turned out to be a group with a much older average age than two years ago. We got mostly guys fromt the 70's and 80's, with Mark Torrisi '91 and Dan O'Keefe '00 the only players from our latest two decades. Nevertheless, the older

guys showed the way both on and off the field.  Players arrived at various times throughout the weekend, according to their work/family schedules and their driving directions. Apparently, Map Quest gave guys a complicated and confusing route to Cooperstown (ask Joe Prew). The good thing was that we all managed to get together for dinner Saturday evening at the Hoffman Lane Bistro, just a few steps

from the Hall of Fame. It was especially nice that some guys brought their wives and/or children. So we had a very nice time. Players enjoyed the good food, animated conversation, and the oppportunity to show their quick hands when shooing away the numerous flies that came in through open doors on the warm evening. Mike Spurr made an extremely generous gesture by treating his entire table to dinner.

 

After dinner, most guys continued socializing at an establishment on Main Street, which was a lot of fun. Reading Baseball players seemed to have similar experiences and stories, whether from 1977 or 2000. The party finally ended as players returned to their hotels in time to meet the strict 4:00 am curfew. Speaking of hotels, we always have some interesting stories about our accomodations in Cooperstown. I know the place I stayed at with a group of guys, the Lake Front Motel, was "quite luxurious". One of the rooms had just one bed for three guys (Jim Lucci, Bob Macaluso, and Jon Vedder). The room was so small that two of the guys had to sleep standing up. Yet, whether one stayed at a campground, cheesy motel, or really cheesy motel, we all got the necessary rest to be "mentally and physically ready to play" the next day.  On Sunday morning, several players found the opportunity to take some batting practice at one of the local batting cages. Some guys hit at thecage right next to Doubleday Field, but found out that the machines were set to either "curve ball", "slider", "screw ball", or "knuckle ball".  No straight balls; true story. The other cage we found was at the infamous Cooperstown Fun Park, a popular venue for the high school players when we go out there. We hit for 30 minutes there and then took a turn on the Go Karts. 

 

We are happy to report that we had no accidents or unfortunate incidents. Looks like we are back in their good graces now and no longer banned from the place (our 2002 team knows that story). We planned to meet at Doubleday Field at 12:45 and most guys were there early (I guess they remembered that "12:45" means be there at 12:30!).  We had plenty of time to stretch, throw, jog, and take a brief nap prior

to the 1:30 game. We even had time for each team to take a spirited infield/outfield practice. We mostly worked on our cutoffs to home plate from the outfield. We put in a new system according to our decreased arm strength. The cutoff went 8-6-4-3-2, with each throw on one or two hops.

 

The game began on time in 90+ degree heat; it was a hot, humid afternoon, for sure. John Barrett '84, Scott Farris '85, Bob D'Ambrosio '84, and Bob Macaluso '82 did the pitching. Barrett looked unhittable as he was pumping his fastball up there with pretty good velocity. The catchers were Jim Lucci '85, Scott Farris, and Coach Mosc '71. This was a lower-scoring affair, with the heavily favored Red Team beating the Black Team, 4-2. The scheduled 9-inning game was shortened by a torrential thunderstorm in the bottom of the 7th, just as it looked like the Black squad was mounting a comeback. Athough we wished we could have played all 9 innings, we were pretty beat from the oppressive heat/humidity, jogging to our positions, and occasionally slicing a foul ball. The game was not without hitting stars, however, as Rich Foohey '89 had a big day for the Red team with 2 doubles and a single. Mike Spurr '82, also wearing Red, had 2 doubles in the gap. Danny O'Keefe '00, Bob Macaluso, and Coach Mosc also had doubles. 

 

One of the best hits was by Joe Prew '77 who hit what is now known as "The Longest Single in the History of Doubleday Field" as he drilled the ball to the right center fence but "chose" to stay at first (probably so the next guy would not be intentionally walked). Defense, however, was the name of this game as at least five double plays were turned. John O'Keefe '71 (Dan's dad and Coach Mosc's long-time friend and former teammate) was involved in three - starting ones from 3b and 2b and turning one as a 2nd baseman. Rich D'Ambrosio '82 made two real nice catches in right field, in the same inning - one coming in and toward the line and the other going way back. Pete Collins '79 also made a couple good plays in RF and added a base hit or two. Jon Vedder '83, MVP from the Morton Field Alumni Game, played well again at the plate and in the outfield.  Mark Torrisi '91 hit what he exclaimed was "the longest ball I've hit in my life", bouncing one off the left field wall, but just foul. A special treat was the appearance of Jim Barrett '71, John's older brother. John invited Jim to play when he knew we were looking for more players. Jim graciously came up from New Jersey for the game and, although he was not a baseball player in high school, he did just fine. Jim's sport was wrestling, as he was Sectional Champion his senior year at RMHS.

 

Last but not least, Coach Bryson and his wife, Jane, came to the game having been in upstate New York for their daughter-in-law's baby shower. Jen and Jeff Bryson are expecting their first child this fall. We are always happy when Ace is there - he took many of the photos that you will see on the website.  The deluge came and after 15 minutes of downpour, the game was called off. Just moments later, the skies cleared to a beautiful Sunday afternoon. The field, however, was puddled and deemed unplayable (just like Morton). But we did have the opportunity to take some nice team pictures on the field and in front of the park.  Game MVPs were Mike Spurr and Rich Foohey for the winning Red team and fireballing John Barrett for the Black squad. Scott Farris provided very attractive new Reading Baseball t-shirts to the MVPs.  Some guys headed for home after the game, while others stayed one more night in Cooperstown.

 

All told, it was another exciting and fun event - truly the Cooperstown Alumni Game has been the best of all our alumni events and one of the great highlights in all of Reading Baseball history. We plan to do it again next summer, as this has become one very best alumni event.  Thanks again to all of the alumni and their families who made this a very special time for all of us.

 

June 2005:

 

We had a good time Sunday morning, June 12, in the stifling heat at Morton Field. 18 alumni players sattended our annual event: Mike Moscariello '77, Jon Vedder '83, Brian O'Neil '83, Scott Farris '85,

John Macaluso '86, Tom Zaya '87, Mark Torrisi '91, John Feudo '95, Josh Driscoll '95, Jason Zerfas '99, Jamie Gath '99, Jesse Woods '00, Donnie Garrity '02, Mark DeMasse '02, Kevin Donahue '02, Mike Ottariano '02, Mike Hurley '02, and Brian DeMasse '03.

 

 

Prior to the game, we had some contests. Brian DeMasse won the Radar Gun Contest, where, prior to throwing, one predicts his velocity. DeMass was right on the money with his throws. We tried to have a Batspeed Contest but our very expensive new batspeed machine apparently only works well indoors. Funny how the ad for the product failed to mention that! The Homerun Hitting Contest was the highlight event and Mike Ottariano was the champion with three long balls. He beat out pre-contest favorites

Jesse Woods and Jamie Gath. The "Running Around the Foul Pole" contest was cancelled due to lack of interest. The game itself was a lot of fun as we had just enough guys to field two teams and have continuous play. The offense was down a bit this year (no, we did /*not*/ use wood bats), maybe because  players figured if they hit the ball far, they would have to run around the bases. There was a lot of outstanding defense, however. Kevin Donahue made a couple outstanding plays at 2nd base and John Feudo did the same at 3rd base. Mike Hurley tracked down some potential extra base hits in center field. Jon Vedder played a great right field and, in one inning, recorded two putouts and one assist. The game MVPs were Mike Hurley for the winning team. Mike played big on defense, as we

mentioned, and also hit the only homerun of the game, a long blast over Morton's new fence. Jon Vedder, in his first alumni game, was the MVP for the losing team with good D and 3 or 4 nice base hits.

 

In other news:

We have several alumni playing ball this summer. This may not be a complete list, but here are some of the guys playing: Kevin Donahue and Jon Rosenthal: Cassell Club (Intercity League) Jamie Gath, Brian DeMasse, Steve Gath: Malden (Intercity League) Tim Bryant: Lexington (Intercity League) Jason Howse, Steve Gath: North Reading (Northshore League).

 

 

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More Alumni Baby News:

Nicole and Tom Quinn '91 are the proud parents of their first baby, John (Jack) Quinn. Equally proud are Shannon and Tom Fratto '94, who also had their first child, Thomas.

Here is an interesting historical baseball fact that was sent to me by Dan Foley '98. I did not know the origin of stirrups, so thanks to Dan for submitting this:

Here's a fun fact for you ... .How did we arrive at this muddled state of affairs? Here's the heavily abridged version: Teams wore knickers and colored stockings in the early 1900s, but textile dyes weren't colorfast in those days, so players who got spiked in the shin could get blood poisoning if dye from the torn stocking entered the wound. The solution, devised around 1910, was a white under sock, which would provide a sanitary layer of protection (hence the colloquialism "sani"). But the extra sock made players' shoes too snug, so someone came up with the idea of giving the colored outer stocking a bottom loop opening, instead of a closed foot design, and stirrups were born.

May 2005:

 

Here is an update on recent alumni and team happenings.

The Rockets are having an excellent season, having finished in 2nd place  in the Middlesex League and winning the Wilmington Tournament. They havea 14-6 regular season record. Scott Farris and Jim Lucci have done a tremendous job with this team in every regard. The may not be the most talented group of players in recent years, but they have done so well because they play hard and with genuine enthusiasm. Scott and Looch have gotten the kids to believe in themselves and get the most of their ability. The pitching has been a strength, with three reliable starters: Jason Kleponis (5-1, 1.27 ERA), Mike DiCicco (5-3) and Steve Roberts (3-2). Kleponis led the league in ERA and made the Middlesex League All

Star Team. He is also the team's leading hitter. The other league all star is Chris Zanni, who typies Reading's style with his constant enthusiasm, energy, and hustle. Reading will begin state tournament play later this week and should open with a home game. Watch the Boston and

local papers for date and time.

 

Alumni Game is set for Sunday, June 12 at 10:00 at Morton Field. Come ready to play and pass the word to teammates. If you are in your 20's, make sure to stretch prior to the game. If you are in your 40's, start stretching now.

 

You can still get on board for Alumni Game in Cooperstown on Sunday, August 14 at 1:30. We have 19 guys committed to playing, and we could use a few more. Let me know if you would like to play or even just come for the trip. For you guys who have already signed up, you should probably grab a hotel room now, as they are hard to get in August. I will contact you this summer for details about fee, uniforms, etc.

 

Some non-baseball alumni news:

It was good to recently hear from Dick D’Ambrosio '82. Dick will join us in Cooperstown. He and his wife live in North Reading and I have 3 children, including 4 year-old twins. Dick is coaching his 7 year-old

son, Anthony, in instructional level baseball this year.  Mike "Temple" Thompson '96 and his wife recently bought a condo in South Boston. He said they hosted a party for the St. Patrick's Day parade in Southie. Should be winding down just about now.  Best of luck to all our alumni and wives who recently had babies or are expecting a child this summer:

 

Duane and Courtney Sigsbury '93 are expecting their first child. Joe and Paula Picano '81 are expecting their second child on July 28. Joe and Paula live on South street with their little boy, Anthony.

Rich and Tracy Foohey '89 just had their first child, Kyla Marie. She was born on March 29 at 10:31 am and weighed 7 lbs. 15 oz. Rich will be coaching our Summer Rockets team this summer. We are sure glad to have him as players will benefit from Rich's enthusiasm and intensity.  Scott and Lisa Farris are expecting their first child, a baby girl, in August.

 

Attached you will see a photo that includes Mark Angelo '78, Barry Larkin, Frank Robinson, and Terry Abbott. Mark, who owns Cigarz at City Walk at Universal Studios, is also Director of Business Development for Champions Sports Complex in Orlando. Mark's group is planning five more

of these multi-sport facilities, which all have 50K - 150K square feet.  His partners include Larkin, Dee Brown, and possibly Doc Rivers. How is Mark connected with Hall of Famer Frank Robinson? Barry Larkin is a special assistant to the GM for the Washington Nationals, where Robinson

is the manager. According to Mark, " Frank loves cigars and I helped Barry in a negotiation for the players and gave Frank his favorite cigars custom with his names on each one."

 

We had 10 alumni playing college ball this spring:

Tim Bryant '01 (Bentley College), Dave Kaloyanides '01 (Sacred Heart University), Kevin Donahue '02 (Endicott College), Mark DeMasse '02 (Wheaton College), Jon Rosenthal '02 (Bowdoin College), Jason Howse '03 (Colby Sawyer College), Brian DeMasse '03 (Merrimack College), Steve Gath '03 (Bentley College), Dennis DiCicco '04 (Bentley College), and Bryan DelloRusso '04 (Tufts University).

 

Here are a few highlights from the college season:

Kevin Donahue had a big season, helping Endicott win the Division III ECAC Tournament. Kevin hit .333 for the season, with 27 runs scored, 43 hits, 11 doubles, 21 RBI, and a .948 fielding average.He also had the big hit in the ECAC championship game, a 2-run double, that enabled Endicott to win their first ever ECAC championship in any sport. Jason Howse did well as both a pitcher and player; he had 24 hits, scored 17 runs, and had 11 RBI to go along with his 3-1 pitching record and 3.90 ERA. Steve Gath had a monstrous year at Bentley, hitting (with wood bats) .354 with 39 runs, 58 hits, 15 doubles, 23 RBI, 16 walks, 15 stolen bases. He led his team in 14 categories: games, batting average, at bats, runs, hits, total bases, doubles, slugging pct., walks, hit by pitch, sacrifice flies, on base average, stolen bases, and assists! Tim Bryant finished his outstanding career in style, compiling a 6-3 record with a 2.37 ERA. He led the team in wins, ERA, appearances, games started, complete games, innings pitched, and shutouts. Tim pitched 79.2 innings and struck out 50 while walking only 3 batters! Tim also had 41 hits 9 doubles, 4 triples, and 2 homeruns.

 

Bob Macaluso '82 was again the Head Coach at Muhlenberg College and his team went 17-15 this season. Bob will be home for about a day before he heads down the Cape to coach the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

 

Scott Reinold '96 was good enough to send you all the latest news on Steve Langone. Since that update, Steve had another outing and picked up his second win. He is now 2-0 with a 2.57 ERA. We all continue to wish Steve the best of luck and hope to see him in Portland soon.

 

 

March 2005:

 

We have some happy announcements about engagements and babies:

 

Chris Smith '96 and Meghan Hardy will be married in Sept. 2006.

Reception will be at the Wentworth by the Sea Resort Hotel in southern

NH. Chris has begun working with special needs students at an elementary

school in Andover. Best of luck to Chris and Meghan.

Congratulations and best wishes to Jim Murphy '93 and his wife, Allyson,

who are proud parents of their first child. James William Murphy was

born on February 27, 2005 and weighed in at 9 lbs. 1 oz.

Also congratulations to new parents Dan '94 and Wendy Robinson. Their

first baby, Colby Scott Robinson, was born on Saturday March 5th at 3:15

PM. He was 7 lbs. 6 oz. and 20.5 inches long. Dan's direct quote was "He

doesn't believe in waste pitches and has no problem throwing a 3-2

change up with the bases juiced."

 

Mini-School

 

We had another successful Reading Baseball Mini-School on March 12 &

13, thanks to the help of some alumni. We raised nearly $10,000, all of

which goes to the program for hats, undershirts, uniforms, bats, balls,

catcher's gear, scrimmage umpires, umps for extra JV and Frosh games,

Cooperstown trip, etc. We had nine distinguished Reading Baseball Alumni

as instructors: Dan Callahan '03, Jason Zerfas '99, Dave Zaya '94,

Darnell Canada '89, Rich Foohey '89, Scott Thomas '87, Tom Zaya '87,

Scott Farris '85, and Kevin Mello '84. These guys all volunteered their

time (they did get a nice new Reading Baseball mock turtleneck and a

couple slices of pizza for their efforts) along with Coach Bryson, a

couple non-alumni guys who generously helped out, and myself. We really

rely on the Mini-School to fund our program needs; it has turned out to

be a real savior for us.

 

More Alumni News

 

Mike Moscariello '77 was recently inducted in the USSSA (softball) New

England Hall of Fame for his exemplary work as an umpire. The event was

a very nice dinner and ceremony held at the Radisson Hotel in Milford.

Mike was one of six inductees and he gave a remarkable speech in which

he was funny, sincere, and touching. He spoke eloquently about the

impact softball has had on him, most notably the opportunity to meet his

future wife, Cindy. Congratulations to my brother for this well-deserved

honor.

 

Cooperstown

 

It looks like we are locked into Sunday, August 14 at 1:30 pm for our

Reading Baseball Alumni Game on Doubleday Field in Cooperstown, NY. We

already have about a dozen guys committed to playing; almost all of them

from the 80's. We need to get a total of at least 20 players, so some of

you younger guys have to get on board (after all, we need someone who

can actually chase down a fly ball without pulling a hamstring). Just

let me know if you are interested. I will keep you all posted about

details regarding cost, uniforms, team dinner in Cooperstown, etc. In

the meantime, if you are planning to go, you may want to book your hotel

soon.

 

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December 18, 2004:

READING BASEBALL ALUMNI CLUB DINNER

 

We will have our annual Alumni Club Dinner on Sunday, January 9, 2005 at

6:00 at On the Border restaurant in Woburn. The restaurant will again

reserve their patio for our private party. Please pass the word to all

you teammates and friends. We hope to get another big turnout.

 

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October 1, 2004:

Two Alumni Weddings and a Baby

Congratulations to two of our alumni, Jamie Severance, and John Feudo ’95, who were married in September.

Jamie Severance ’97 married Annie Cuffe on September 6. They honeymooned in Aruba and returned to their home in Tewksbury.

John Feudo married Michelle Andrews on September 24. They also had great weather and were married at St. Athanasius Church in Reading and held their reception at the luxurious Westin Hotel in Waltham. Former 1995 teammate, Josh Driscoll, was in the wedding party and several other alumni were there, including Anthony Caporale ‘95, PJ O’Leary ’95, Jon Whalen, Mark Torrisi ‘91 and Coach Mosc (see photo). John and Michelle also went to Aruba for their honeymoon and live in their home in Tewksbury, not far from Jamie and Annie.

Dan Robinson ’94 and his wife, Wendy, are expecting their first child in March. They already know their baby will be a boy! Congratulation to expectant mom and dad and best wishes for a happy, healthy baby (born just in time for Spring Training).

September 30:

Fundraising: Golf Raffle with Bobby Orr

As you know, we are beginning a major fundraising campaign to make major improvements to Morton Field. Our first priority is to build a permanent outfield fence. To that end, we had our first fundraiser, conducted jointly by Reading Babe Ruth Baseball League and Reading High School Baseball. Scott Farris and I are working closely on this with Dave Sample and John Halsey, the President and Vice President, respectively, of Reading Babe Ruth. Dave and John are great guys to work with and very committed to making our field project come to fruition. They came up with the idea of raffling off chances to play 18 holes of golf at the prestigious Salem Country Club, as they have a contact there who was willing to donate the round. We also wanted to come up with a celebrity who could serve as a drawing card, and we were able to get as good a drawing card as you can get: Boston Bruins legend Bobby Orr! So now we were able to offer raffle tickets with a great prize for two winners: having lunch with Bobby Orr followed by 18 holes of golf in a private foursome at an exclusive club.

When we set up the raffle, our goal was to raise $10,000; a lofty goal, but we thought it was reachable. Ticket sales went slowly at first, then picked up momentum in the last couple weeks. When is was all over, our tally showed that we actually exceeded our goal by a small amount, thanks to the generosity of so many people who contributed. I want to especially thank our alumni players and parents who really came through for us in a big, big way. Our alumni accounted for a significant percentage of our income, so thank you all for helping your old team. I knew we could count on you guys.

One of the two raffle winners was a Reading Baseball alumnus, Jack Marlin ’79. I was so pleased that at least one of the winners was an alumnus (the other was a gentleman named Mike Ryan, from Bradford, MA). Jack is a great guy who has been a loyal follower and contributor to Reading Baseball for a long time, so I am very glad that he won.

By the way, the actual event was spectacular. Sunday, September 26 was a gorgeous day that enabled us to see why the Salem Country Club is considered one of the finest in the country. Scott Farris, John Halsey, and myself, were invited to have lunch with Bobby Orr at the club. You have probably heard, as we had, that Bobby Orr is reputed to be a real good guy. Well he exceeded our expectations. He was personable, friendly, humorous, and generous. He was eager to sign memorabilia (he even brought his own photos to sign for us) and pose for photos with us. He acted as if it was a thrill for him to meet us. What a day to remember for all of us, but especially those lucky golfers who got to play with and talk to a true sports legend for a long afternoon. Incidentally, Bobby Orr is a good golfer and shot an 80 and Jack Marlin played very well, too. Jack has some good stories about his day with Bobby Orr that I hope he will write about for the Alumni Newsletter. In fact, the newsletter will include a more elaborate piece about the entire raffle and Bobby Orr day.